A couple people asked for it after I mentioned the side project in my build thread.
I have a complete ~40k more or less original S14b23 pull out from a 1987 M3 that belongs to my friend Shareif. He is carrying out a concours style restoration on his M3 and asked me if I would take on applying my flair for he extreme to the resurrection and restoration of his drivetrain.
Can do.
Shareif picked up this car after it had say neglected and derelict in a barn up in Maryland. Time and the client took their toll and the engine was worse for the wear visually. Beyond that the engine was effectively seized, only turning +- 20 degrees from its resting place. Even the spark plugs were heavily seized to the cylinder head and wouldn't break loose.
A few photos of it in the car before it was delivered to me.
The first order of business for me was to pull the valve cover and see what lie within. All told not as bad as I was expecting, the oil film on everything was still reasonably present and did its job to protect from corrosion setting in.
I then tried to remove the plugs to get some lubricant down in the cylinders with no luck. Hmm... I mixed up some ATF/Acetone and heated it up before filling each sparkplug bore with a few ounces of the liquid mix.
Then I went ahead and pulled the cams, lifter buckets and camtrays off and away revealing the head and valve train.
By that time the ATF/Acetone mix I'd put on the spark plugs had done its work and I was able to crack them all free, mmm.... nasty.
I went ahead and dumped a bit more in each now open cylinder and let it do its thing while I proceeded to get the cylinder head off.
Once it sat for a few hours and got down into the rings the bottom end eventually freed up and started moving full revolutions with minimal effort. I dried the piston tops off and flipped it over.
Pulled the lower oil pan to see what we see. Lots of thick oil sludge mixed with condensation.
Went ahead and pulled the oil pump, upper oil pan and exposed the rotating assembly. Everything looked fine so I pulled the rod end caps and kicked the pistons out the top one at a time. Cylinder #4 was our chief offender causing the engine to not want to turn....
Every one of the rod bearings was smoked.
$1500 in timing components pictured here fit for the trash. Sucks, these wear so poorly.
Wiped the big chunks off the pistons and laid them on the bench, then blew the assemblies apart.
Moving back to the cylinder head each chamber looked OK save for the filth.
Mmm cylinder #4 had water sitting on those valves for sometime.
All torn down.
Time to blow apart the throttle assemblies.
Box of aluminum castings ready to take to the shop and clean up a bit.
Most of the loose aluminum castings cleaned, devoid of grease at least, so they can be further refined, bead blasted and then vapor honed.
Valvetrain removed and laid out.
Lets clean up these nasty valves.
Seats on the exhaust valves are a bit pitted, but those will get cut back when the head is gone through by the machinist.
All clean!
Since this is a concours style restoration its important to retain the original parts wherever possible, all aluminum castings have production date stampings so this means blowing apart the starter, alternator and power steering pump to restore them.
Starter motor after some restoration worn, waiting on new brushes and bushings to arrive.
Shifter was really notchy as presented so I took a look at the transmission, found the detent spring, roller were wasted. How this happened I'm not sure.
Seized broken bolt in the bellhousing on crankshaft position sensor A... fun to remove.
Disassembled the differential to prepare the seal covers and hardware to be plated.
Differential looks great inside, and break away torque measured well inside spec so it'll be left alone for now.
Hardware stripped with hydroflouric acid and ran for 24 hours in my vibratory tumbler to debur and polish, all prepared to send off for fresh yellow zinc chromate plating.
Vapor honed alternator case
Along side its growing pile of friends, the power steering pump housing, oil pump housing, and engine parts.
Thats all for now. Thank you and check back periodically for updates :-)
I have a complete ~40k more or less original S14b23 pull out from a 1987 M3 that belongs to my friend Shareif. He is carrying out a concours style restoration on his M3 and asked me if I would take on applying my flair for he extreme to the resurrection and restoration of his drivetrain.
Can do.
Shareif picked up this car after it had say neglected and derelict in a barn up in Maryland. Time and the client took their toll and the engine was worse for the wear visually. Beyond that the engine was effectively seized, only turning +- 20 degrees from its resting place. Even the spark plugs were heavily seized to the cylinder head and wouldn't break loose.
A few photos of it in the car before it was delivered to me.
The first order of business for me was to pull the valve cover and see what lie within. All told not as bad as I was expecting, the oil film on everything was still reasonably present and did its job to protect from corrosion setting in.
I then tried to remove the plugs to get some lubricant down in the cylinders with no luck. Hmm... I mixed up some ATF/Acetone and heated it up before filling each sparkplug bore with a few ounces of the liquid mix.
Then I went ahead and pulled the cams, lifter buckets and camtrays off and away revealing the head and valve train.
By that time the ATF/Acetone mix I'd put on the spark plugs had done its work and I was able to crack them all free, mmm.... nasty.
I went ahead and dumped a bit more in each now open cylinder and let it do its thing while I proceeded to get the cylinder head off.
Once it sat for a few hours and got down into the rings the bottom end eventually freed up and started moving full revolutions with minimal effort. I dried the piston tops off and flipped it over.
Pulled the lower oil pan to see what we see. Lots of thick oil sludge mixed with condensation.
Went ahead and pulled the oil pump, upper oil pan and exposed the rotating assembly. Everything looked fine so I pulled the rod end caps and kicked the pistons out the top one at a time. Cylinder #4 was our chief offender causing the engine to not want to turn....
Every one of the rod bearings was smoked.
$1500 in timing components pictured here fit for the trash. Sucks, these wear so poorly.
Wiped the big chunks off the pistons and laid them on the bench, then blew the assemblies apart.
Moving back to the cylinder head each chamber looked OK save for the filth.
Mmm cylinder #4 had water sitting on those valves for sometime.
All torn down.
Time to blow apart the throttle assemblies.
Box of aluminum castings ready to take to the shop and clean up a bit.
Most of the loose aluminum castings cleaned, devoid of grease at least, so they can be further refined, bead blasted and then vapor honed.
Valvetrain removed and laid out.
Lets clean up these nasty valves.
Seats on the exhaust valves are a bit pitted, but those will get cut back when the head is gone through by the machinist.
All clean!
Since this is a concours style restoration its important to retain the original parts wherever possible, all aluminum castings have production date stampings so this means blowing apart the starter, alternator and power steering pump to restore them.
Starter motor after some restoration worn, waiting on new brushes and bushings to arrive.
Shifter was really notchy as presented so I took a look at the transmission, found the detent spring, roller were wasted. How this happened I'm not sure.
Seized broken bolt in the bellhousing on crankshaft position sensor A... fun to remove.
Disassembled the differential to prepare the seal covers and hardware to be plated.
Differential looks great inside, and break away torque measured well inside spec so it'll be left alone for now.
Hardware stripped with hydroflouric acid and ran for 24 hours in my vibratory tumbler to debur and polish, all prepared to send off for fresh yellow zinc chromate plating.
Vapor honed alternator case
Along side its growing pile of friends, the power steering pump housing, oil pump housing, and engine parts.
Thats all for now. Thank you and check back periodically for updates :-)
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